Tube setting and spreading tool



J. H. VOGT, JR. TUBE SETTING AND SPREADING TOOL. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7. 1921.

1,425,426, Patented Aug. 8, 1922,

UNITED STATES JOHN H. VOGT, JR, or COLUMBUS, onto.

TUBE SETTING ANDSPREADING TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

Application filed February 7, 1921. Serial No. 442,9?30! To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Joint H. VoG'r, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube Setting and Spreading Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved setting and spreading tool adapted for use in connection with the tubes of steam generating boilers for the purpose of enabling the longitudinal ends of such tubes to be readily and easily set and spread in connection with a boiler sheet or head, in order that by subsequent operations the said ends of the tubes may be beaded or bent outwardly into fastened relationship with the sheet or head.

A boiler setting or spreading tool of the type disclosed in this application, as is well known, usually consists of a plurality of concentrically disposed separable sections, which are normally held together by an elastic ring so that the sections will be capable of relative expansion and yet will be held together, the said sections, when in their assembled form being formed with grooves which jointly produce a tapered longitudinally extending axial bore in the tool, the latter being disposed for the reception of a tapered expanding plug, which by being driven into the bore will cause the sections to expand so as to effect an increase in the diameter of the tool, the arrangement being such that when the tool is inserted in one end of a boiler tube, expanding the tool will result in producing corresponding expansion or spreading of the end of the tube, so that the latter, by having its end thus expanded will be securely mounted within a boiler sheet or head and be capable of being further operated upon to produce an annular head or ring which will permanently hold the tube in connection with the boiler head or sheet.

In tools of this character it frequently occurs that when the plug is being driven into the bore of the tool so as to efiect the expansion of the end ofthe tube, the latter, by reason of the blows delivered to the plug, will be forced rearwardly or longitudinally so that the end thereof which should project a slight distance beyond the boiler sheet will be forced inwardly to such extent that the end of the tube will be either forced within the confines of the boiler sheet or an insufli- 'b'oiler'setting and spreading tool is provided wherein the separable sections are formed to include longitudinally disposed spacing projections which extend parallel with the longitudinal axis of a tube to be spread and are disposed beyond the confines of the end of the tube and disposed to engage the exterior surface of the boiler sheet or head when the tool is in active operation, the arrangement of the projections being such that when sections are being expanded by blows delivered longitudinally tothe expanding plug, longitudinal movement on the part of the tool as well as the tube itself will be precluded by the engagement of the projections or lugs with the stationary boiler head or sheet, the tool thus admitting of the lateral or radial spreading of the end of a tube without accompanying longitudinal movement thereof and corresponding loss of relative adjustment with respect to the boiler head, a featurewhich insures the proper setting of the tube, the requisite spreading of the end thereof and a suiiicient amount of metal at the end of the tube, when the latter is finally spread, to permit of the formation of an efiicient and properly produced bead on the end of the tube, which will hold the latter in secured relation with the boiler head or sheet without permitting of longitudinal displacement.

Other objects of the invention reside in a tool of this nature which will be simple and convenient in operation, capable of permitting the operations to'be effected thereby to be quickly and accurately performed and to provide a'tool of compact and well balanced formation which will be capable of imparting extended service with but a minimum of repair and adjustment.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention accordingly consists in the novel features of construction, combinations ofelements and arrangements of parts, hereinafter to be fully described and pointed out in the appended claim.

and spreading of aboiler tube,

'Figure 3 isranrendelevation of the tool, and Figuredis adetail perspective view of one of the separable sections thereof, and disa closing; moreparticularly the construction of the holding projection. s i i 'Referr'ngmoreparticularly to the. details of the invention, use is made of a boiler'setting-and spreading 50011, which is formedv toqineludeya pluralityof inte'rfittin relativelymovable,separable sections 2. 11 cross section, these sections are substantially wedge shaped and-havetheir'adjacent faces disposed on true radial lines with respect to the centerof the tool, in order. that when the sections are operatively combined the tool as a whole-will be ofsubs tantially circular formation when viewed in an elevation. To

hold the Sections in proper relation each thereof is formed to-includea relatively enlarged body portion 3 having a segmental groove 4 provided in the outer circumference thereof, which groove will be capable of regis'tering with, the similar grooves ofthe re- -ma1n1ng sections, 111. order that an annular groove will be producedwhen the sections are assenibled to receive anannular elastic sectionsto beradiallyexpanded,against the ring 5,,ofrub1ber or the like, the said rings serving to exert sufficient tensioniupon the several sectlons: so as to draw the latter togethermand to maintainthe same in proper 'tiperative relation. When the sections. are combinedin this manner: the same will providea longitudinally extending, axially located,inwardlytaperingopening 6 in the center of the tool, which will becapable. of receiving a taperingplug member 7, the

latter being so formed that when driven into the opening. 6, the saidmember, will force the tension of the ring 5, sothat the tool as a whole'may be circumferentially expanded or contracted.- Thebody portion 30f each sec- -;bodyof the tool, and has the-outer circumferentialwall thereof tapered to correspond 5 tion terminates "inwardly in: a a longitudinally extendingfinger 8,which cooperates withisiinilar fingers provided upon the remain ng sections to produce a reduced, expansible sleeve upon the inner end of the tool, the sa d sleeve being relatively smaller in diameter than the substantially withthe taper ofthe plugmem- "her 7, i f This sleeve is adapted-tube received, when 1 ,easaae the tool is in operation, within the open end portion of a tube 9, of the type commonly roumi ia conneeubn with boilers or other steam generating apparatus. As previously s'tated,"the tooll is employed for the purpose of enabling the outer ends 10 of tubes ofthis nature to be properly setand expanded i -secured. relationship with respect to a boiler sheet or head 11, whereby longitudinal movement on the part of the tube with respect to the sheet or head 11 will be precluded. In the past it has been customary-to form the tool 1 to include the construction. so far specifically described,

and to insert the same into the end of a tube which has been positioned within a receiving opening 12 therefor provided in the boiler, sheet. Then, by driving the plug memberyl nt the ape e open n 6 of the 2 it will be apparent that the sections ofthe tool will becircumferentia lly expanded, and likewise a sleeve producedbyi the fingers, 8, so that the end 10 of the tube will bespread slightly and thus wedged, as it were, into secured relation with the boiler sheet. 1 However,;it has 'been found .in operation that whenthe. tool 1 is so constructed, the application of-power to the plug. member 7 has frequently. resulted in driving the tube 9 longitudinally to a nioire or less extent during. the setting and spreading operation, and this has frequently resulted in causing the .endfIlO to be' forced into the opening 12,

onto permit. an insufficient amount of the tub 0. r iee bey nd, t e x e or 1 face of the-sl1eet11qto permit ofthe proper formation of ahead on the end of a tube.

, Therefore, to obviate this difliculty, the tool 1 has certain of itssec tions provided with eng u mlly x nd ng nte r p eie no s or les la h eh re te me t -Pile- .ject from the inner side of the body 3 in spaeed relationship from the exterior surface of. theffingers in order that by heng-so formed, the ends of the lugs or projections 13 will be capable of engaging with i the exterior surface of the sheet 11, andy.et

will enable theends 10 of the "tubes 9g tobe properly .p o sitioned and without suffering interference inrany way from the projectiens o r the-body of the tool. "It will be manifest that by the provisionof the 'elemerits 13, the plugmernber 7 may be driven ti htly and forcibly into the openingfipso as to efiectthe desired expansion of the end pf a-boiler tube, and yet the percussive force applied tothe plug member in a longitu dinal dlrectioniwilloonly resultin spreading the end of a boilertube and .willnot inany away resultxin relative longitudinal movement of said tub ewith respect to the boiler sheet. l'lhereforepthend of! a tube may .be effectively and q uick y. expanded by use "of-the tool comprising the present invention and in u h ena hit a e i sn re tion of the tube will project beyond the outer surface of the sheet 11 for the purpose of permitting of the subsequent beading of the end of the tube after the spreadin operation has been performed. This en as will be apparent, is primarily accomplished by preventing longitudinal movement on the part of the tool itself during the spreading operation, and the tool will enable the operation to be readily carried out in an expeditious, efficient and labor-saving manner. By forming the lugs 13 upon alternate sections, the desired stability will be imparted to the tool and yet the Work may be viewed through the spaces provided between the lugs.

What is claimed is:

In a tube setting and spreading tool for boilers, a plurality of interfitting, circularly arranged separable sections, formed to include when assembled a relatively enlarged circular head and a reduced longitudinally extending expansible sleeve, said sleeve being disposed to be received within the open end of a boiler tube and upon being expanded to spread the end of said tube into holding relation with a boiler sheet, means surrounding the head of said tool for maintaining said sections in assembled relation, the said tool being provided with a longitudinally extending tapering opening capable of receiving a tapering expansion member, whereby upon the movement of said expansion member longitudinally and inwardly of the tool the circumference of said sleeve will be expanded, and a plurality of projections extending longitudinally from said head and provided upon alternate sections, the said projections being disposed to extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tool and to engage with the outer surface of the boiler sheet, whereby upon the expansion of the sections longitudinal movement on the part of a tube will be precluded.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN H. VOGT, JR. 

